bradford



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

JQBRADFORD. DEVICE FOR. OPERATING POWER GRAIN SHOVELS.

No. 317,083. Patented May 5, 1885.

N: PETERS. vmwuuw n mr. Wah'mginn. D. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. I

J. BRADPORDf DEVIUE FOR OPERATING POWER GRAIN SHOVBLS.

No. 317,083. Patented May 5, 1885.

N. PE'IERS. nwumu m. Wasningicn. u c.

UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BRADFORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND MICHAEL W. HANLEY, OF SAME PLACE,

DEVICE FOR OPERATING POWER GRAlN-SHOVELS.

SPECIFICATION forming 'part of Letters Patent No. 317,083, dated May 5, 1885.

Application filed J anuary 12, 1895. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN BRADFORD, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, and a citizen of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Operating Power Grain-Shovels, of which the following is a full description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a top or plan view of the devices pertaining to the invention; Fig. 2, aside elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a detail showing the rope-hook on the lower end of the rod through which the lever-latch is operated.

It is customary to operate power grainrope, the drum being mounted loosely on a constantly-rotating shaft, on which shaft is a sliding clutch by which the drum can be made to rotate with the shaft, or independent thereof, to wind the rope up or permit the rope to be unwound; and the object of this invention is to automatically throw the clutch into and out of gear as required to wind up the rope and draw the shovels forward, or to allow the drum to run free for the rope to unwind and draw the shovels back and its nature consists in the several devices and combinations of devices, hereinafter described, and pointed out 0 G O, and having attached to its end the grainshovel which is to be operated.

D is a second drum,0f somewhatless diameter than the drum B, as shown, and connected with the drum B so as to rotate therewith.

E is a chain, one end of which is secured in any firm manner to the drum D, so that the chain can wind on or unwind from the drum.

F is the long arm of a bell-crank lever, to which, at a, is secured the end of the chain E. This lever is pivoted at b to the supporting frame-work, and its short arm F is forked to shovels by the use of a winding-drum and a in the claims, as new for attaining the object engage with the sliding portion of the clutch which operates the drum B.

G is the stationary and G the sliding portion .of the clutch, the part G being formed with or suitably secured to the end face of the drum B, and the sliding part being connected with the shaft A by a feather or otherwise, so that it can move forward and back on the shaft, and at the same time rotate with the shaft, and, as shown, this sliding part Gis provided with a groove to receive the fork of the arm F, so that as the bell-crauklever is turned it will act to engage the clutch or disengage it.

E is a latch pivoted at c to abracket orsupport on the frame-work in such relation to the arm F asto have the free end of the latch H drop thereover and hold the arm in position to keep the clutch disengaged, as shown in Fig. l.

I is the long arm and I the short arm of a lever pivoted in the upper end of a standard or post, I, extending up from the frame-work, and to the short arm I of this lever is con nected by a link or rod, (1, the free end of the latch H, so that as the long arm of the lever is thrown down the latch will be raised to allow the arm F of the lever to pass thereunder.

J is a link or rod connected at one end to the long arm I of the latch-lever.

K is a bar or lever centrally pivoted to the end of the rod or link J and, as shown, pins 0 are provided to form stops to limit the raising of the bar K at each end.

' L are guides, in which the ends of the bar K move and by which the bar is held so as to operate in a direct line. guides are fastened to a boardor support, L, and the pins 6 are also located in this board or support L.

M are rods, one for each end of the bar K, and each having at its free end a hook, f, to support the winding rope 0 when the rope is thrown thereon after the shovel has been drawn back.

N is a chain, one end of which is secured to the end of the arm F, and the other end has As shown, these attached thereto a weight, N, the chain passing over a roller or pulley, N, mounted on a roo O are side pieces, and 0 end pieces supporting the shaft, drum, and other devices, the shaft being mounted in suitable boxes on the end pieces, 0.

P is the chute, up which the grain is to be carried by the buckets, as usual, the buckets operating in the usual manner, and being, therefore, not shown.

Q is a cross-piece supporting the pulleys O, which cross-piece, as well as the crosspiece L, may be attached to the chute P, or supported in some other suitable manner to bring the devices supported by such crosspieces in proper position for use.

The operation is as follows: As shown in Fig. 1, the parts are in position to unwind the rope to carry the shovel back into the car to be loaded and be advanced to discharge the grain at a point where it can be taken by the elevator-buckets and delivered into the bin or bins, in which position the clutch is disengaged, the part G being carried back by the arm F, and the arm F being locked and held against horizontal swing by the latch H, and the repe O is clear of the hook f. \Vhen the shovel has been carried back the distance required, the rope G is allowed to drop onto the hookf, pulling down the rod M and with it the end of the arm K, to which the rod is attached, and such downward movement of the arm K draws down the link J and the long arm of the lever I, raising the short arm I and the free end of the latch H through the connection d, and as the free end of the latch is raised the arm F is released from its engagement therewith and the weight N acts and draws such arm outward, throwing inward the arm F, carrying the clutch G into engagement with the clutch part G, and connecting the drum B with the shaft A, so that the rotation of the shaft will rotate the drum, winding the rope 0 up thereon and advancing the shovel attached to the rope, and this connection of the drum with the shaft also rotates the drum D, unwinding the chain E therefrom, and winding it thereon again,

and as the chain E winds onto the drum it will draw the arm F inward, throwing outward the arm F, and this movement will occur at the time that the shovel has reached the discharge-point or limit of its advance movement, and as this point is reached the arm F has been drawn into the required point for the latch H to drop thereover, holding the arm against outward movement and holding the clutch disengaged, and such looking of the arm and disengagement of the clutch releases the drum B from the shaft A, so that it can be revolved in a reverse direction by the operator drawing down the shovel and unwinding the rope O therefrom to carry back the grain-shovel, and in such operation of unwinding the rope from the drum the chain will also be unwound and rewound in the opposite direction to that in which it was operated by the advance of the shovel without affecting the lever F, and when the shovel has been drawn back the chain E is unwound from the drum, so that as the latch H is released the weight N is free to act and draw the lever-arm F outward to throw the clutch into use.

The devices are very simple, and can be applied to the winding-drums and cluthes now in use, and in use the devices work automatically, both in throwing the clutch into engagement and disengaging the clutch from the drum, the dropping of the shovel-rope onto the hook f releasing the holding devices for the lever F F, allowing the lever to act and throw the clutch into engagement, and the winding of the chain onto the drum D operating to draw the end of the arm F inward to release the clutch and allow the drum to run free.

A rod, M, is provided for each end of the balance-bar K to enable the rope O to be carried either to one side or the other, as required, for the operation of the shovel, and be dropped to engage a rod, M, and release the latch H.

The stops 6 each form a fulcrum for the bar K, according as one end or the other of such bar is depressed by the weight of the rope on the rod M, the stop acting to prevent the end of the bar which goes up from traveling too far in an upward direction, and also forming the point against which the bar bears.

The latch H, operated automatically from the shovel-rope, acts instantaneously to release the lever-arm F and throw the clutch into engagement as the rope G is dropped onto the rod M, by which arrangement a quick action in throwing the clutch into engagement is had, and the operator has no trouble in this regard, as the simple act of dropping the shovelrope insures the disengagement of the lever-arm and the engagement of the clutch.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the shaft A, winding-drum B, and clutch G G, lever F F, drum D, chain E, and latch H, of the lever I I and balance-bar K, automatically operated from the shovel-rope to allow the clutch to be engaged, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the shaft A, drum B, rope O, lever F F, clutch G G, and latch H, of the lever I I, balance-bar K, draw-rod M, and weight N, for automatically raising the latch and throwing the arm F out to engage the clutch, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

JOHN BRADFORD.

Witnesses:

0. WV. BOND, A. H. ADAMS. 

